GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT OF THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY IS STEPPING DOWN REPORTING BY COOK COUNTY BOARD.

PRESIDENT TONI PRECKWINKLE BACK IN 2010.

ARNOLD RANDALL IS CREDITED WITH COMPLETELY TRANSFORMING THE FOREST PRESERVES AS AN INSTITUTION.

HE'S BEEN PRAISED FOR CREATING A FAR MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION AND VASTLY EXPANDING THE RESTORATION OF NATIVE HABITATS.

RANDALL'S ALSO LED EFFORTS TO MAKE THE FOREST PRESERVES ACCESSIBLE AND WELCOMING TO ALL.

AND NOW WE WELCOME ARNOLD RANDALL.

CONGRATULATIONS THE NEXT CHAPTER.

THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU TO BE HERE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING AS WE SAID, YOU'RE STEPPING DOWN AFTER 13 YEARS OF LEADING THE FOREST PRESERVES OF COOK COUNTY, WIDELY CREDITED WITH THE TRANSFORMATION.

GIVE US A SENSE OF WHAT YOU FOUND WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED THIS JOB BACK IN 2010, WHAT DID YOU NEED TO TRANSFORM?

>> WELL, TO START WITH, IT'S THE FORCES ARE THIS INCREDIBLE ASSET.

70,000 ACRES OF NATURAL LANDS IN AND AROUND CITY, CHICAGO.

BUT WHAT WE FOUND ORGANIZATION THAT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING WELL.

AND SO WE WEREN'T DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF PROTECTING THE LAND.

WE WERE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OVER PROGRAMMING IN CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE.

LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FOREST YOU KNOW, FEARFUL OF THE FOREST PRESERVES EVENT.

>> AT A RECENT BOARD MEETING, A COOK COUNTY COMMISSIONER STAN LEE MOORE DESCRIBED THE WORK THAT YOU HAD CUT OUT FOR YOU WHEN YOU TOOK THIS JOB.

HERE'S A LOOK.

>> ON A RANDOM.

I WANT TO THANK YOU.

I WANT MAKE SURE LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT.

BUT WHEN TOOK AND 11 YEARS AGO, SUCH A REPUTATION.

BUT SINCE TAKING OFFICE, THE SCHOOL'S DISTRICT STATES, YOU AND PRESIDENT FOR ATTENTION TO THE DETAIL THAT THEY DONE TO BRING THAT WAS WAS PRESERVED AND ALL OF THE FOREST PRESERVES IN MY DISTRICT THAT TO WHERE THEY SHOULD YOU MADE A PRIORITY.

AND I WANT TO THANK >> SO WHEN YOU TOOK THE BOARD, PRESIDENT TONI ALSO SAID THAT SHE WANTED TO BE SURE THE PRESERVES BECAME MORE INCLUSIVE AND THAT ITS PATRONS REFLECTED THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP THE COUNTY.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WASN'T THE CASE BEFORE?

I THINK IT'S TWO-FOLD.

AT I THERE'S A SENSE OF AMONG CITY THAT NATURE MAY NOT BE FOR THEM.

AND I THINK THAT'S UNFORTUNATE REFLECTED IN BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES EVEN MORE SO.

>> SO WE REALLY WORKED HARD TO TO MAKE THE FOREST PRESERVES LOOK LIKE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO.

AND THAT MEANT SHOWING PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEM WERE IN THE FOREST RESERVES AND IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE.

I THINK IN THE NEWS JUST AS DOES OVERALL LACK OF SORT OF THEM THAT BEING WILL MAINTAIN, WHICH SENDS A SIGNAL TO PEOPLE THAT IT'S NOT WELCOMING.

SO WE RECOGNIZE WE NEED TO DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF MAINTAINING.

>> IN 2020 IN THE ALONG THE SAME LINES, YOU ALL RELEASED A REPORT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE FOREST PRESERVES OPERATED WITH ANY, QUOTE, PERVASIVE CULTURE OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AND THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDED TO WORK TOWARDS RACIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

HOW MUCH PROGRESS WOULD YOU SAY THE FOREST PRESERVES WAS ABLE TO MAKE ON THAT?

AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

>> SO I WOULD SAY TO START WITH IT FROM THE BEGINNING OF PRESIDENT PRECKWINKLE'S ADMINISTRATION WAS CLEAR THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY FELT WELCOME WHAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND RIGHT AWAY.

WAS THAT CHANGING?

THAT CULTURE WAS GOING TO BE A LOT TOUGHER THAN WE REALIZED.

SO WE REALLY PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW DO YOU MAKE THE A RACIAL EQUITY DIVERSITY A PRIORITY STRUCTURALLY WITH AN ORGANIZATION.

SO WE HAVE A RACIAL EQUITY LENS FOR LAND ACQUISITION FOR PROGRAMMING.

IF WORD, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES THAT TRADITIONALLY ARE NOT INVESTED VERY WELL LIKED AND RAIN WITH, FOR EXAMPLE.

>> ON YOUR WAY OUT, THE BOARD INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION CITING QUITE A FEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER YOUR 13 YEAR CAREERS, 13 YEARS.

A LOT OF TIME TO GET SOME THINGS THEY CAN.

THEY INCLUDE AMONG OTHER THINGS, NOT EVERYTHING IS HERE.

OF COURSE, INCREASING RESTORATION, CREATING A STATE OF THE ART WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER PASSING THAT TAX REFERENDUM IN 2022.

AND PASSING UNEMPLOYMENT PLAN THAT LED TO THE AGENCY BEING RELEASED FROM THE SHACK BUT WAS THE CULTURE LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED?

>> I THE CULTURE IF PEOPLE CAME TO THE FORE SERVES, THAT'S FINE.

IF THEY DIDN'T COME, THAT WAS FINE ALSO AND THAT NOT WE RECOGNIZE THE FORCES ARE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND GET AWAY FROM THE STRESS OF CITY LIFE.

ENJOY NATURE.

JUST IT'S A RESPITE AND IT WAS ALWAYS THE INTENT AND THE PROTECT NATURE.

AND SO THAT THEY WERE REALLY LIVING UP TO THE FULL THE FULL MISSION OF THE FOREST PRESERVES.

>> LOT OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAD TO GET ALL THAT DONE.

FIRST OF ALL AFTERNOON CREDIT PRESIDENT TONI PRECKWINKLE.

SHE SHE SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

I CAME ON ONE WEEK AFTER SHE TOOK OFFICE INITIALLY BACK IN 2010.

>> AND SHE'S VERY CLEAR ABOUT EXPECTATIONS.

AND THEN SHE ALLOWED US TO BUILD A TEAM OF HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONALS.

AND THEN WHEN REPAIRED ARE SORT OF HIRING PROCESSES THROUGH THE SHACK IN THE CREEK THAT ALLOWED US TO HIRE REALLY TALENTED PEOPLE IN AN APPROPRIATE POSITION.

SO BUILDING A REALLY STRONG TEAM WAS IMPORTANT AND THEN HAVING VISION FOR WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND WE ALSO OPENED UP TO OUR ADVOCATES IN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

WHAT WE WANTED TO BE IN THERE WERE VERY MUCH PART OF OUR PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.

YOU KNOW, YOU IMPROVE SOME OF THE PARTNERSHIPS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH NAME SOME OF YOUR PARTNERSHIP OPEN LANDS, TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND ON AND ON.

WE HAVE MANY, MANY PARTNERS IN THE FOREST PRESERVES AND THEIR BIG PART OF THE SUCCESS AS WELL AS VOLUNTEERS.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU REMAINS FOR YOUR SUCCESSOR?

WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU DIDN'T GET TO THAT?

YOU WOULD LIKE TO GOTTEN TO THAT YOU COULD BE DOING.

THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO DO SO.

WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES NOW IN THE FOREST RESERVE.

SO THAT MEANS WE CAN DO SOME MORE REST LAND RESTORATION.

SO WE'RE AT ABOUT 15,000 ACRES OF OF ACTIVELY MANAGING LAND.

WHEN YOU GET UP TO 30,000 TO CONTINUE TO ADD MORE PROGRAMMING, ACCESSIBILITY FOR FOLKS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A BARRIER FOR FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A PART OF THE CITY OR ANY PART OF THE COUNTY FOR THAT MATTER CAN CAN GET TO THE FOREST PRESERVES AND FEEL WELCOME IN THE FOREST PRESERVES THAT CAN BE DONE TO PROGRAMMING.

>> AND THEN CONTINUE WITH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.

WE BILL CAMP GROUNDS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE FIXED AND REPAIRED OVER TIME.

THERE'S MORE THAT TO DO AS WELL.

WHY LEAVE NOW?

THAT'S A GOOD I I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT OF NEWS ALWAYS.

YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.

AND I'VE BEEN IN THE FOREST PRESERVES 4 TIMES LONGER THAN ANY OTHER JOB.

I FELT MY PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.

SO THAT'S A GREAT RUN IN CITY IS A GREAT RUN IN GOVERNMENT PERIOD.

AND I FELT LIKE I'M LEAVING IT A BETTER PLACE.

AND FOUND >> FAVORITES.

WHAT'S YOUR RECOMMENDATION?

FAVORITE SPOTS IN THE FOREST.

PRESERVE HER FAVORITE.

SOMETHING TO GO.

DEPENDS WHAT YOU LIKE TO IF YOU LIKE TRAIL HIKING IN ROLLING HILLS, YOU CAN GO TO THE PALOS AREA IN THE SOUTHWEST SUBURBS AND ITS 15,000 A YEAR BECAUSE OF CONTINUOUS LAND.

IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A LIKE A GREAT FAMILY EVENT GO DAMRON WAS YOUR BUS.

HE WOULD.

THOSE ARE VERY POPULAR AS WELL.

IF YOU LIKE TO CANOE OR KAYAK, YOU CAN HIT THE DES PLAINES RIVER, CHICAGO RIVER.

THOSE RUN THROUGH THE FOREST PRESERVES AS WELL.

IF YOU LIKE TO ZIP IS FINE COURSE IN THE IN THE WEST TO COME USES A LOT OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

FISHING IS ALSO AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A STORY FROM EARLY AN EARLY IN THE PRESIDENT PRECKWINKLE WAS CAN YOU?

>> IT WENT OVER.

YES.

GO ON WITHIN THE MONTH OF US TO SORT OF TAKING OFFICE WE WERE INVITED TO A NEW YEAR'S DAY PADDLE WHICH REALLY COLD.

>> AND PRESIDENT FRANKLIN PUT BOW SHOWED UP AND WE WERE THERE TO TO ENCOURAGE PADDLERS.

BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW SHE JUMPED INTO A CANOE INSIDE SOMETHING THAT CAN YOU RIGHT AFTER?

BECAUSE IF SHE WAS GOING TO GO, I WAS GOING TO GO BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HER CANOE TIP, SHE DID HAVE A FELLOW PADDLER WITH HER IN THE CANOE AND SHE WILL BLAME THAT PERSON.

BUT I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED RANDALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

CONGRATS ON YOUR NEXT STEP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.